Prior techniques for expanding cut tobacco containing an elevated moisture level using hot fluids have included Wright U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,436 which employs hot air; Buchanan U.S. Pat. No. 3,734,104 which uses hot gases and Kelly U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,780, also teaching the use of hot gases, is owned by the assignee of the present application.
While prior methods have been directed to accomplishing expansion of the tobacco while being conveyed in gaseous fluids, none has employed the particular conditions of temperature, velocities or use of heated fluid and process conditions of the present invention.